Philip Seymour Hoffman's son Cooper, 23, says he hopes his late father 'would be happy' as he reflects on following him into acting and opens up on romance with fellow nepo baby Nico Parker

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Philip Seymour Hoffman's son Cooper has reflected on following his late father into acting and opened up on his romance with fellow nepo baby Nico Parker.

The I Want Your Sex star, 23, spoke to The Times about his career and how he hopes to make his father proud following the Oscar-winning actor's 2014 death, after he passed away from an accidental overdose at 46. 

When asked what his dad may think of his career, Cooper, whose mother is costume designer Mimi O'Donnell, said: 'I don't know what he'd think. It's so complex. I hope he'd be happy. If there is a heaven and if he is looking down I hope he's happy...

'I hope he's proud, I hope he's angry, I hope he's all the things that a father would feel about their son doing this job. So I can only hope for all those things.'

Cooper also spoke about his widely-discussed relationship with Thandiwe Newton's daughter, Nico Parker, 21, as he gushed: 'Nico is fantastic. Really fantastic.' 

Philip Seymour Hoffman's son Cooper has reflected on following his late father into acting after he passed away from an accidental overdose at 46 in 2014 (Cooper pictured with his dad in 2013)

Cooper also spoke about his widely-discussed relationship with Thandiwe Newton's daughter, Nico Parker, 20, as he gushed: 'Nico is fantastic. Really fantastic'

The couple met in late 2024 while filming Maude Apatow's directorial debut Poetic License and Cooper previously revealed they became official after filming wrapped.

In confirming the romance earlier this month, he said: 'We didn't officially start dating until a few weeks after filming, when she came to New York to meet my mom, and I asked her to be my girlfriend. It was very sweet.'

With Hollywood awash with nepo babies, a host of stars' children are finding their way to the big screen, with Cooper making his acting debut in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2021 film Licorice Pizza, in which he played lead role, Gary Valentine.

He went on to star alongside David Jonsson, Charlie Plummer, and Mark Hamill in the 2025's The Long Walk, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.

For his next role, Cooper is playing OpenAI co-founder Gregory Brockman in Luca Guadagnino's upcoming comedy drama, Artificial, where he will star alongside Andrew Garfield, Monica Barbaro, Zosia Mamet and Chris O'Dowd.

Last month, his film I Want Your Sex was released where he stars alongside Olivia Wilde, whom he lauded while also revealing he would watch it in House with his dad.

Cooper did not shy away from nepotism, as he confessed his breakthrough role in Licorice Pizza, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination at 18, was due to his dad: 'Fortunately, because of nepotism, I've known Paul my whole life' (pictured in the movie with Alana Haim) 

Last month, his film I Want Your Sex was released where he stars alongside Olivia Wilde, whom he lauded while also revealing he would watch in House with his dad (Olivia and Cooper pictured last month) 

He said: 'I've loved Olivia for so long. Me and my dad used to watch House [the TV series in which she starred] all the time. I told her that.' 

Cooper did not shy away from nepotism, as he confessed his breakthrough role in Licorice Pizza, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination at 18, was due to his dad: 'Fortunately, because of nepotism, I've known Paul my whole life'. 

Phillip's demons were well-documented before he was found dead in his Manhattan apartment in February 2014 of a drug overdose.

The actor admitted struggling with drug addiction for years, and reportedly checked himself into rehab in May 2013 for heroin abuse after 23 years of being clean.

After his death it was revealed he had rejected his accountant's suggestion he set aside money for his three children, including Tallulah, 19, and Willa, 17, because he didn't want them to be 'trust fund' kids, according to court documents.

Cooper is pictured with his father Philip and his mother Mimi O'Donnell in December 2013

In a filing in July 2014 – five months after his death – in Manhattan Surrogate Court, the actor's accountant David Friedman recalled conversations with the late star, where the topic of a trust for his children was raised.

He said Phillip wanted his estimated $35million fortune to go his longtime partner and the children's mother, Mimi, who he met in 1999. 

She had reportedly recently kicked him out of the family's $4.2million apartment as he tried to get his drug problem under control.

According to the filing, Friedman said the Oscar-winning actor treated O'Donnell 'in the same manner as if she were a spouse'. He told the accountant that he just didn't believe in marriage.

The court-appointed attorney said at the time that his will should be approved by the court because there isn't anything suspicious about it.

Attorney James Cahill Jr, interviewed the accountant as part of his court-appointed duties to protect the interests of Cooper and his sisters.

Phillip also said that he wanted his son to be raised in Manhattan, Chicago or San Francisco, an edict that was written before his daughters were born.

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